Caption: Invasive tropical seaweed (Caulerpa taxifolia) by an anchor on a Mediterranean sea floor. This seaweed is native to the Caribbean. Hybrids were developed in Europe in the 1970s for use in marine aquariums. Accidental release into the wild, by the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco, introduced this species into the Mediterranean Sea. It has now colonised much of the Mediterranean as well as posing a threat to the coast of California, where it grows to a massive size in comparison to its parent plant. Apart from its rapid growth rate, its high toxicity stops it being a food source for marine wildlife.